Guide mechanism for sheet-metal-rolling machines



Jam 2, 19230 1,44%385 E. M. FOSTER.

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR SHEET METAL ROLLING MACHINES.

FILED Nov 24. 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Jaumu 2, 19230 1,44,385

E- M. FOSTER. GUIDE MECHANISM FOR SHEET'MEYAI-YROLLING MACHINES.

FILED Nov. 24, 1.919. 2 SHEETS'SHEET 2- Patenteol Tan. 2., T923.

UNTTED STATES menses EMORY M. FOSTER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGIIOR TOTHE HYDRAULIC PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATIONOF OHIO.

GUIDE MECHANISIJI FOR SHEET-METAL-ROLLING MACHIHEfi Application filed.November 24, 1919. Serial No. 340,228.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L-EMORY M. Fosrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented &a certain new and useful Improvement in Guide Mechanism forSheet-Metal-Rolling Machines, of which the followin is a full, clear,and exact description, re erence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to machines for rolling strips of sheetmetal into grooved or tubular form, and more particularly to a guidingmechanism to be used in connection with such machine; the object of suchguiding mechanism being to insure the delivery of the flat stock to theshaping rolls so that a given longitudinal line upon the fiat stock willregister continuously with a given point upon the shaping rolls.

It sometimes happens that the strip of metal is improperly sheared, andis not of uniform width from end to end, and unless some provision ismade in guiding such improperly sheared strip to the shaping rolls thefinished or shaped product will have an excess of material upon one sideof a given line and a shortage of material upon the opposite side, andthis excess and shortage 0 tends to impair the finished product at thesepoints; and it is with the idea of compensating for such possibleinaccuracy in the metal strip that the presentform of guiding mechanismhas been devised. 7

With this object in view the invention consists broadly in theemployment of a pair of yielding guide rollers so positioned as tocontact with the opposite edges of the sheet metal strip fed betweenthem, said rollers being connected with each other in such a manner thatthey operate in unison, and such connection to be of such character thatthe movement of one roller will effect a corresponding reverse movementin the other roller whereby the strip of material passing between saidrollers will always be main-' tained in a. definite longitudinalrelation with reference to the shaping rolls. The invention consistsalso in certain details of construction and novelties of combination,all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings "forming a part of this specification, Fig. l is aperspective view of one form of guide mechanism embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the base block; Fig. .3 is adetailed view of the upper plate; Fig. 4: is a view of the lower guideplate; Fig. 5 is a detailed view .of one of the levers; Fig. 6 is adetailed view of the guide roller; and Fig. 7 is a detailed viewillustrating the modified construction of lever adjustments.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I employ'a base block 10which is preferably cored horizontally as shown at 11 and in the upperface of this block and centrally thereof is a longitudinal keyway 12.Elongated slots 13 are produced in the upper portion of the block uponopposite sides of the central keyway, these slots being of sufiicientlength to permit ample adjustments as hereinafter referred to. Thisblock 10 is firmly bolted to the frame of the machine at proper distancein advance of the shaping rolls (not shown) and with its longitudinaledge in parallel relation with the axis of said rolls.

Adjustably mounted upon the base block 10 is the lower plate 15 havingthe keyway 16 in the bottom thereof corresponding with th keywayc12 inthe top of the base block said keyways being adapted to receive asuitable guiding key therein. The lower plate 15 is adjustably connectedto the base block by means of short bolts passing upwardly through theslots 13 and entering the bottom plate 15 and inasmuch as these boltsare located in the longitudinal slots 13 the bottom plate can beadjusted with reference to the axis of the shaping rolls. The 'bottomplate 15 is formed at one end with an ofl'set extension 17, and at eachcorner and at the opposite outer corners of said extended portion Iprovide upwardly extending lugs 18 having recesses 19 in the facesthereof to receive the ends of helical springs 20. The main portion ofthe bottom plate 15 has longitudinal grooves 21 cut in the upper will bemade to equally and simultaneously rnent of'the'upper plate upon thelower one in order to accommodate difl'erent widths of material fed tothe-shaping rolls. A lever- 26 is pivotally connected to the upper faceof the ofl'set portion of the plate 15 near each end thereof by means ofa stud bolt 27 and a lever 28 is connected to the upper face of th-plate 22 by means of similar stud bolts 27, said pivotal points beingin a line'parallel- 'with the axis of the shaping roll. A

guide roller is jo'urnaled in the end of each lever 26 and 28-and a link29 connects theopposite end of each lever 26 with the end of the lever28 which carries the guide roll, and each lever 26 and 28 is 'formedwith a recessed boss 30 in the end where the guide; roller is journaled, said recessed bosses beingadapted to receive the'opposite endsoi? the springs 20 previously referred to.- These springs arecompression sprin s and tend to force the gu dlng rollers towar s eachother and it is obvious that inasmuch as the 0ppositeends ofthe leversare connected by means of the diagonal link 29 that any movement ofoneroller will be immediately communicated to the opposite. lever andefiect a corresponding movement in the other guide roller in the reversedirection, that is to say,

that by means of the construction and arranglement of the particularfeatures herein s own and described, the guiding rollers approach andrecede from each other. 1

I In practice Ipreter to employ two sets 35 of levers and linksasillustrated in order to more eficlently guide the strip of material tothe shaping ;rolls, it being'understoodthat the guiding rolls have theirperipheries shaped to engage the edges of the metal stri an hold thesame in sliding contact with the face of the onset portion 'ofthe lowerplate and the upper face ofth'eupper plate.

is obvious that as a strip ofmetal is fed;

between the guiding rolls, that any irregularity in the shape of saidstrip will be communicated to" the'guide roll-at one side or striip 4 Iwi th the roller at one side will be forced.

.the' other and will affect the. position of such guide roll to theextent of such irregularlty and also that When one guide roller isafiected by! such irregularity the other gulde .roller will besimultaneously and correspondingly afi'ected in the opposite direct1onthereby maintainingthe strip in a perfectly true longitudinal line whilebeing fed to the shaping of metal should gradually 1ncrease in outwardlyand will afiect the correspondin outward movement of the other roller anI the rollers consta-ntly contacting with the opposite edgesofthestripwill maintain the strip properly" centered as it. passes to the shapingrolls.

In order to properly gauge the guiding rollers through them respectivelevers, I proroll; that is 'to say that if av retirees vide the endof-each lever to which no link is; connected with an elongated opening31 and in which" fits a stop bolt 32 carried by the upper plate and .thelower plate, and

working through the end of the lever is a set screw 33"whichis adaptedto contact with the stop bolt32, and this-set screw is adjustable in orout in order to stop the lever at the desired point. w

lit-desired, the end of the lever can be bored -completely through andtwo oppositely disposed adjustable set screws 34 can be employed. Thelink 29 is provided with a plurality of openings 29 therein so as toaccommodate varying widths of sheet metal stocks and to accommodate theadjustments of the upper and lower plates with reference I Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim is I 1. In a device of the kinddescribed, a pair of guide rollers adapted to receive a strip of metaltherebetween together wlth means for simultaneously causing said rollersto move in oppositedirections, thereby to cause the longitudinal axis ofsaid strip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

'2. In a. device of the kind described, a pair of yieldable -guide'rollers adapted to receive a. strip of metal therebetween together withmeans connecting saidrollers whereby theyapproach or recedefrom eachother in unison thereby tocause the longitudinal axis of saidstrip tomove along a definite line between said re; rs. I

3. In a device of the kirfdfdescribed, a pair of guide rollers adaptedto receive a str p of metal therebetween, levers carrylfig said rollersand meansconnecting said levers, whereby said rollers approach andrecede from eaclf dther in unisonzgto automatically I retain the'longitudinalaxis of said strip alon a definite line. 1

t ln a device of'the kind described, a pair pf guide rollers, leverscarrying said .rollers, means acting upon said levers to normally forcesaid rollers toward each other, and means connecting said'levers tocause them to move simultaneously thereby to cause the longitudinal axisof said strip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

5. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers, leverscarrying said rollers, means acting upon said levers to normally forcesaid rollers toward each other, and means connecting. said levers tocause them to move simultaneously, together with means for limiting theinward movement of said rollers.

6. A guide mechanism for sheet metal rolls, comprising a base, a plateadjustable upon said base and carrying a guide roller, a second plateadjustable upon the first named plate and also carrying a guide roller,and equalizing means connecting said rollers to cause them to move inunison in opposite directions.

7. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers, leverscarrying said rollers, plates to whichsaid levers are connected, one ofsaid plates being adjustable upon the other, a link connecting the rearend of one lever with the forward end of the opposite lever, springsacting upon said levers, and normally forcing said rollers toward eachother, and means for limiting the movements of said levers.

8. In a device of the kind described, a base block, a-plate adjustableupon said block, a second plate adjustable upon the first named plate,levers arranged in pairs upon said plates. guide rollers carried at theends of said levers, springs acting upon said levers, lugs carried bysaid plates and against which the springs also bear, equalizing linksconnecting each pair of levers, and means for limiting the movements ofsaid levers.

9. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers adapted toreceive a strip of metal therebetween together with means forautomatically moving said rollers to cause the longitudinal axis of saidstrip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atfix my signature.

EMORY M. FOSTER.

